he wasn't putting traps down or picking them up hes a lobster boat no lobsters in the bay he goes out to the ocean he was heading out. there was 2-3 people on deck working doing something but not laying pots or picking them up they didn't even have 1 pot on board.

Also i don't feel like making friends with them since every saturday when i got by around 6-7 in the morning there all drinking so i don't feel like dealing with drunks.

So...You know the other boat, and that it's skipper may be drunk, and you didn't instanly turn on your motor and get as far away as possible? C'mon buddy...you're wasting our time! Rights or no rights, you have to use your head out there!

Hick, excellent advice from all posters, a tricky situation does require fore thought, mostly the rules apply, sometimes not so much, I agree a signal device is a good idea, here in the PNW they don't get used enough, learning has a long curve, glad your asking the questions though.
A final thought, getting some more training will increase your confidence in these matters, ASA has a good program, as do many others, check them out! SV Beulahmae Coronado 28
Puget Sound Wa.

i thought he was far enough away till i realized he was getting to close to quick. i was jsut floating around out there pretty much doing at max 1 mph. he was near shore when i first spoted him then he came out to the middle then i realized to late that he was coming for me. and i was in the way

Small- sounds like you did what you could in a confusing situation and you didn't get run over. I'm guessing the lobster boat was on autopilot so the skipper could work on deck. Not right, but often done nonetheless. Glad you were paying attention and didn't get hurt. I would have sounded the danger signal at him, after getting out of the way.

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS : If the vessesl is not engaged in fishing, it is deemed a power driven vessel under the rules and a sailing vessel has right of way. If you are unsure of the vessels intentions you sound five or more short blasts on the whishtle to enquire what are his/her intentions to avoid collission (remembering you must avoid collission at all costs) It would be deemed unsatisfactory look out, on the motor vessels behalf . Look out by all available means where not complied with that was bad seamanship on the the power drivern vessel Inform the coast gaurds of the motor vessels lack of compliance to the avoidance of collission at sea regulations (I am sure they will be interesed)

The rules apply to everyone but many just choose not to follow them. If lobsterman gave way to every sailboat that wanted to "assert stand on" they'd never get any work done so they have, in a sense, re-actively adopted the FU stance.... This is and has been driven by a sheer lack of common courtesy on the part of recreational boaters. We are a big part of the cause of their behavior.....

Same is true on the road. The vast majority of drivers speed and a large portion do California stops at stop signs. Few ever even look when "yielding" onto a highway or use directionals to turn. Truckers and other ignorant/arrogant drivers often hang out in the passing lane, asserting their "rights", by blocking traffic and setting their own self imposed speed limits.. Not their job to police the left lane but they feel a right to do it. They do this despite it being illegal in many states, including Maine. So I'd say not obeying the rules happens both on and off the water... People pick and choose what they want to abide by on the roads, just as working lobstermen do on the water..

Not saying what they do is necessarily is right just warning folks how the "real world" operates outside of a forum where people quote the COLREGS as if everyone actually obeys them...

Assuming a lobsterman will "give way" may get you killed or your boat sunk, likely followed by a one finger salute... Be careful these guys are the last of the true Cowboy's...!!

I was imagining it to be more along the lines of not abiding by the rules as to which side of the road you travel on versus speeding or going slow in a fast lane.

Either way, I agree that working boats deserve their space, and regardless of the rules, I'd rather let them do their thing... I'm here for enjoyment, not to tell some guy making a hard living that he is not following the regulations.

And it sounds to me that blowing 5 blasts with a whistle or horn will make you a target, not get to a solution.

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